Ryan's Girl
by Tanyaleefr
Summary: Ryan and Calleigh have become a lot closer lately. But they're just really good friends... right? NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own ANYTHING!!!_

_**Author's note: **__A lot of people have been asking for more CarWash fics…. So here's one. Hope you all like it!!!!_

_Read and Review please!!!!!!!!!!!_

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**Chapter 1: Friends… with benefits?**

Ryan let out a long sigh as he let himself fall on the couch in the break room. He felt completely drained; there wasn't an ounce of energy left in him. All he wanted to do now was go home and go straight to bed. The only reason why he was still at the lab was because he wasn't really sure if he would make it home safely without falling asleep while driving.

"You're still here?"

He opened his eyes tiredly and watched as Calleigh sat down next to him. Even if she looked as exhausted as he felt, she still managed to smile at him. "You should go home. It's been a long day."

Ryan pursed his lips and closed his eyes again, agreeing with her. "You're telling me. That case was, without a doubt, one of the most difficult ones I've ever had to work on."

"Even more a reason to get out of here." She grinned and grabbed his hand. She stood up and pulled him off the couch, groaning as he didn't even try to help her. "Come on. Walk me to my car."

Ryan grinned and offered her his arm, which she took. "Now that's something I can't refuse."

They both made their way through the lab, waving at the very few people left from the day shift. As they came out of the building and walked down the stairs, Calleigh couldn't keep herself from stealing glances at her companion. They had become a lot closer lately, their relationship going from coworkers to really good friends. She actually felt really lucky to have Ryan Wolfe in her life. He was such an easy person to be around. And she definitely needed more simple people around her.

At work, Ryan Wolfe was nothing more than the most professional, serious CSI she had ever worked with. However, she had had the opportunity to hang out with after-work-hours-Ryan, and had absolutely enjoyed every second she spent with him. Outside the lab, Ryan Wolfe was one of the funniest guys she had ever spent time with. Who would've known?

They walked slowly, taking their time. When they finally reached her car, she realized she didn't really feel like going home. Sure, she felt tired, but tomorrow was hers and Ryan's day off, so she'd sleep then. Right now, she felt like spending time with friends. "Any plans for tonight?"

Ryan shrugged and scratched his eyes tiredly. "Not much. Eat. Shower. Pass out."

Calleigh snorted and shook his arm slightly. "Well that sucks. Let's go eat somewhere, have some relaxing fun."

"Hmmm…. I don't know if I'm gonna be much fun to be around, Cal. I'm just so tired… I'll probably fall asleep before we get to order." He really DID feel exhausted.

Calleigh giggled and gave him her cutest puppy dog eyes, hanging onto his arm. "Come on, Ry! We haven't been out in forever!!! I'll keep you awake! You KNOW I can!!!"

Ryan snorted and lifted his eyebrows at her. She was winning, of course. She always won. He sighed and grinned. "So you're asking me to choose between my bed, and an evening with a really hot blond?"

Calleigh laughed and slapped his chest. "Easy choice, right?"

"Do you want to ask Delko and Natalia if they want to tag along?"

She shook her head. "Nah. I heard Eric say he had a date tonight, and Nat left half an hour ago, saying she was going straight to bed."

He shrugged. "Alright. It's just you and me, then!"

They both agreed to take their own car and meet at the restaurant, since they both didn't have to come to work the next day. As he reached the restaurant, Ryan wasn't surprised when he spotted the blond woman standing by the entrance, waiting for him to join her. Even If they had left the parking lot at the same time, she had managed to outdrive him within the first five minutes. He shook his head and parked his car. She drove way too fast… and of course, she knew it.

This being a Wednesday, the restaurant wasn't full, so they got to choose a nice comfortable booth. They sat down and started chatting and drinking, finally able to unwind from the long day they had had to endure.

At the end of the evening, both of them had had a lot more to drink then they had planned. As they stood in the parking lot outside the restaurant, they both realized they would have to find another way to get back home.

"I'm too drunk to drive." Ryan shook his head and shoved his car keys back in his pocket. He wouldn't be using them tonight, that's for sure.

"Yeah. Me want to share a cab?" She gasped and grabbed his arm. "You could crash at my place. We both can't drive and we have to take a cab and we'll have to take a cab to come back here to get our cars back." She frowned and made him look at her. "Do I make sense or am I just too drunk to be logical?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Right now, you could be talking French and I would probably understand you better… Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

Calleigh laughed and took hold of his arm. "Ah, Ryan, you're definitely every woman's dream."

He laughed and threw his hands up exasperatedly. "I KNOW! And you're the only woman who seems to realize it."

They finally found a cab and sat together on the back seat, giggling uncontrollably. They spent the fifteen minute ride laughing at about nothing, right until the seemingly annoyed driver dropped them in front of her condo. Ryan followed her on unsteady feet, reaching out with his hand in search of an invisible wall to support him. He had been way too tired to drink; the first beer had gone right up to his head, which had been followed by another one… and another one… and then just too many.

Calleigh, on the other hand, was drunk, but not as drunk as her friend was. Even if she had had as much, if not more to drink then Ryan, she could still walk and think straight. She unlocked her front door and walked in, followed by Ryan, who quickly walked past her and let himself fall on her couch. "Ry, you still can't hold your liquor? It's not as if you haven't had the chance to practice lately!!!"

Ryan didn't even look up, just lifted his hand up and pointed at… the ceiling. "I can hold my liquor just fine, thank you."

She giggled and shook her head, locking the front door. "Yeah, I can see that." She walked up to him and sat on his legs heavily, making him groan. "We should really go to bed. Sleep this off."

He didn't move, just turned his head, trying to find a comfortable spot on the cushions he was lying on. "Good night then."

She slapped his chest and stood up. "Come on. You can sleep in my bed, with me." She grabbed his hands and pulled. "We're way too drunk for anything to happen anyway."

Ryan snorted and grinned drunkenly, letting her pull him off the couch. "If I wasn't this wasted, I'd make love to you."

She laughed and kept hold of his hand, guiding him towards her bedroom. "If I wasn't this wasted, I wouldn't let you."

He stopped abruptly and frowned, glancing at her. "I may be drunk, but I can still hear, you know. And I just thought I heard you say you would let me make love to you right now, since you're drunk."

Calleigh threw her head back and let out a loud hearty laugh. "Ryan Wolfe, you need to sleep this off." She turned on the lights and guided him to her bed. She then put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him down, making him fall ungracefully on top of the covers. "Now, take your shoes off and get comfortable. I'm gonna go to the bathroom and get ready."

He looked up at her and grinned. "You go get ready, I'm gonna make this night unforgettable."

The blond laughed again and pointed at him. "I'll be back in five minutes." She went to the bathroom and washed her face before changing into her pj's. She then swallowed a couple of aspirins and drank a tall glass of water. Satisfied, she filled the glass again and brought it to her friend, along with two more aspirins. He would definitely need it.

As she walked back in the bedroom, she wasn't surprised to see that Ryan hadn't moved a muscle. He was still lying on the bed, his feet on the floor. Seemed he had succeeded in untying his first shoe, but had abandoned the second one. He was now asleep, his forearm covering his face. She snorted and walked around the bed, setting the glass and two aspirins on the night stand. She then walked back to him and got down on her knees, working on untying his second shoe. She took both his shoes off and stood, frowning at his still unmoving form. She sighed and reached for his belt, deciding he would sleep a lot better without his pants on. She had actually never imagined herself undressing Ryan. As she was working on his pants, she gasped in surprise as two strong arms grabbed hold of her hips and pulled her down on the bed.

She let out a little cry as Ryan quickly turned them over, effectively holding her down under his body. He didn't waste any time, crushing his lips to hers. She knew the right thing to do should've been to push him away and force him to sleep on the couch. But she couldn't keep herself from kissing him back. Even drunk, Ryan was a great kisser. Their lips parted and tongues met, deepening the kiss. Too soon for her liking, his mouth left hers and travelled down to her neck, making her shiver. She moaned as he worked wonders on her skin, pressing himself into her.

'Oh my… this is not happening. I'm about to have sex with Ryan Wolfe.' She was enjoying this way too much. He was her best friend… she didn't want to ruin their friendship with sex. She sighed, letting her hands travel over the muscles of his back and down to his strong butt. He felt so good against her. He was still kissing her neck lazily, making her want more, when he just… stopped. His head became heavy on her shoulder. She frowned, opening her eyes and turning her face to try to get a better look at his face.

"Ryan?"

His only answer was a soft snore.

Calleigh sighed and let her head fall back on the bed. It was better this way. Having sex with your friends was NEVER a good idea. Groaning, she rolled him off of her and stood from the bed. She watched him for a few seconds and finally shook her head. Ryan was sprawled on her queen sized bed and left absolutely no space for her. Grinning, she took one side of the covers and tried to cover him the best she could. She grabbed her pillow and went to the closet from which she took a warm blanket. She then turned off the lights and went in the living room, which would become her safe haven for the night.

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_Hey everyone!!!! Tell me if you liked it!!! If you did, I'll keep going! ^_^_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's note**: Thank you for the reviews people! Hope you enjoy this next chapter! For once, I want Calleigh to be the one fighting for Ryan's attention… and not the other way around, like it always seems to be._

_Please read and review!!!!!_

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**Chapter 2: The Morning After**

Calleigh frowned and put her arm over her eyes, trying to hide away from the harsh morning light. Her body screamed for sleep as she fought to keep herself from awakening completely. Seemed the Tylenols she had gulped down before going to bed hadn't really changed anything. Her head was pounding.

She could hear movement coming from the kitchen… sounds that she wasn't used to hearing in her always empty condo. Groaning, she opened her eyes groggily and gasped when the first thing she saw were legs, a few inches away from her face. She turned her head and looked up, greeted by the sight of a grinning Ryan Wolfe, who was staring down at her.

"Good morning, gorgeous."

Calleigh groaned and shut her eyes again, turning on her back. "Ryan, go to bed. It's too early." She mumbled.

Ryan snorted and sat down on the coffee table. "Calleigh, it's one in the afternoon."

The blond woman frowned and turned her face towards him. "Are you serious?"

Ryan nodded and offered her the steaming cup he was holding. "Coffee?"

She sighed and reached for the cup as she sat up. She took a sip and swallowed, enjoying the taste. "Shouldn't you be the one in this state?" She pouted and pointed at him. "You're all smiling and happy… it's not normal."

Ryan laughed. "Maybe it's because I got to sleep in a real bed." He grimaced. "I'm really sorry for last night. I don't know why I ended up in your bed… I just remember getting out of the cab. After that, it's all blurry."

Calleigh snorted and shook her head, taking another long sip from her cup. "Trust me; you don't want to know what happened next."

He winced and looked away, already embarrassed at what he could have done. "I'm such a lousy drunk… What did I do this time?"

The blond woman smiled and looked down, thinking. Should she tell him what really happened? That, in her drunken logic, she had wanted to undress him so that he would be comfortable for the night? That she had ended up caught under his body, being kissed by him? That if he hadn't passed out on top of her, they would've had sex?

Nah.

"You did nothing wrong. You just followed me to my bedroom and fell on the bed. Before I could do anything, you were already asleep. So I took off your shoes and wrapped the covers around you." She grinned up at him, waiting for his answer.

Ryan breathed out and rolled his eyes, still feeling bad for having stolen her bed. "I told you I was too tired to go out." He stood from the table and made his way towards the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"

Calleigh sighed and finished her coffee. She was still exhausted and just felt like sleeping some more. But at least, there wasn't anything awkward between Ryan and her.

XXXXX

Calleigh smiled at one of her coworkers as she made her way through the lab. She felt a thousand times better this morning than she had felt the previous day.

After she had awakened and drank her coffee, Ryan had prepared breakfast, which she had only picked at, not trusting her stomach to handle the eggs he had made for her. She had gone in the shower, washed away her headache and had gotten dressed in baggy jeans and a tank top.

Then, they had called a cab that brought them back to the restaurant, where they had spent the previous evening. Ryan and her had finally gotten in their own car, saying they would see each other the next day. She had gone straight home, where she had crashed on the couch and spent the rest of the day watching reruns on TV.

Calleigh turned a corner and gasped in surprise as she felt two strong arms grab her from behind. She turned her head sharply and rolled her eyes at Ryan, who seemed quite proud of himself. She slapped his arm and kept walking. "You scared me half to death."

Ryan laughed and walked beside her, following her to wherever she was going. " Do we have case today?"

"Probably not; Horatio would've texted us if something had come up. In the mean time, we've got plenty of paperwork to catch up on." She smiled as Ryan groaned and rolled his eyes, slowing his pace. She knew he absolutely despised paperwork. She took hold of his arm and pulled him closer to her. "Come on, it's not that bad. You get to spend time with me!"

Her companion grinned and picked up his pace. "You always find the positive side to everything!"

She batted her eyelashes at him and spoke in a breathy voice. "That's why you love me."

Ryan chuckled and wrapped his arm around her waist. "You know me so well."

They got their documents and finally found an empty lab where they could work. They sat at a table and opened their first folder, getting ready for a long, unexciting morning.

As they worked together, Calleigh couldn't keep herself from stealing glances at her friend. Ryan was definitely a very good-looking man. He had gorgeous hazel eyes, which were now focused on the document he was writing on. Calleigh had noticed how his eyes would slightly change color, depending on his moods. Right now, his eyes were a gorgeous shade of green. He had one of the most beautiful genuine smiles, one she knew not a lot of people had had the chance to see. Sure, he wasn't very tall or extremely muscular, but these types of men were never really her type. She liked not having to break her neck when kissing her man.

'What?!?' Calleigh opened her mouth in surprise and turned her head, staring at the wall. It was the first time she had actually thought such a thing. Ryan was her best friend. Sure they hugged and kissed each other sometimes, but only on the cheek. That was it. And it was fine. She didn't want anything else from him.

Calleigh sighed and glanced at him one last time before focusing her eyes on her paperwork. 'It's all because of that kiss we shared three nights ago…' she thought. If she hadn't brought him home, if she hadn't tried undressing him while he was drunk, none of this would have happened. They would've never shared that kiss and she wouldn't be having all these mixed feelings for her co-worker/best friend.

"Hey, Cal?"

The blond woman jumped slightly and looked up at her friend, eyes wide. "Yes?"

Ryan looked uncomfortable for a few seconds. He stared at his hand for a second and finally looked back up at her, looking embarrassed. "Are you sure nothing happened when I was at your place two nights ago?"

'Oh my… can he read minds?' Calleigh thought, feeling suddenly nervous. "Why would you think something happened?"

He shrugged and played with his pen. "I don't know… It's just that I've been having flashbacks from that night, and…"

She lifted her hand up and stopped him before he said too much. "Nothing happened. I told you, you came in, went to my bedroom and fell asleep on my bed. That's all."

If just _thinking_ about something that _might_ have happened was making Ryan feel this embarrassed, she wouldn't be the one telling him that they had been close to having sex. Their friendship, right now, was the one thing she didn't want to lose. If there was something she had learned over the years, it was that sex ALWAYS made things awkward.

Ryan stared at her for a few seconds, his hazel eyes searching hers. She couldn't quite read the thoughts going through his head right now, but she could see something in his eyes, something she had never seen shining there before. Something that was making the hair on her arms stand and her heart beat faster.

Finally, seeing no reaction from her, he sighed and slowly nodded his head. "Alright. I believe you." He smiled and nudged her hand with his pen. "Wouldn't it have been awkward if something had, though?"

Calleigh laughed nervously and nodded her head, unable to look at him. "Yeah, so awkward."

'crap.'

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_SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO????????_

_REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note:** By the way…. I know I always start writing about cases and never really talk about them after… I really suck at writing suspense._

_Thanks for the reviews!!! __Hope you enjoy this new chapter!!!!_

_**Read and review pleeeeeeeeeease!!!!!!**_

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**Chapter 3: The New Girl**

"Hey, Cal, wait up!"

Calleigh frowned and turned her head towards the voice. She smiled when she recognized Ryan, who was half-running through the parking lot, towards her. "Hi! You're here late!"

Ryan slowed down and stood in front of her, hands on his hips. "You're the one to talk, you just got here too!"

She laughed as they started walking towards the building together. "I had an appointment this morning. What's your excuse?"

Ryan winced and scratched his eyebrow. "I… have no excuse. It's my fault, I slept late."

"Have you been having trouble sleeping lately? You look a little tired."

He pinched his lips and nodded. "Yeah… I've been doing a lot of thinking lately."

Calleigh nodded and frowned. "Right. Is it something you'd like to talk about? I mean… I'm your friend… and I'm a really good listener."

He grinned at her caring words and sighed. "I know you are. It's just… girl problems. Nothing I can't handle."

Calleigh smiled weakly, her mind reeling. "Girl?" She swallowed and forced the smile to stay on her lips. "Have you been seeing someone and you haven't told me?"

Ryan shook his head and snorted. "Nah, it's history. I'm moving on!"

She nodded slowly and smiled as he held the door open for her. She walked in and made her way towards the elevator which would take them up to the lab. It had been about two weeks since the 'incident' between her and Ryan, and still nothing had changed between them. Not like something 'should' have changed… But why hadn't he told her about that girl? They had gone out a couple of times, as they always did, and he hadn't said a word…

She stepped onto the elevator and turned around, facing the door. She cocked her head to the side and pouted. "Still, you could have told me about this girl. Why are you moving on?"

Ryan shrugged and kept his eyes on the doors. "She's just not that into me."

Calleigh nodded and nudged his arm. "Good. Don't waste your time on chicks who aren't worth it." She swallowed and stared at the doors again. "There are plenty of women who'd like to date an awesome guy like you."

Ryan frowned and nodded his head slowly. "Right." He mumbled.

They waited in silence for a few seconds and walked out of the elevator as the doors opened. They were both making their way through the lab Ryan suddenly slowed down his pace and grabbed her elbow, stopping her. "Hey, who's that?"

Calleigh's eyebrows lifted in question as she followed his gaze. Apparently, there was a new technician working in one of the labs. "I have no idea. I didn't know we were looking for new lab techs."

Ryan shrugged. "Me neither."

Calleigh forced a smile and nudged his side. "I think you should go introduce yourself."

He stared at her for a few seconds and finally nodded his head slowly. "Right. Good idea."

Calleigh's smile didn't quite reach her eyes as she watched her friend make his way towards the new girl. She knew Ryan's flirting abilities could be pretty pathetic, and she also knew she should be laughing her head off right now… but she wasn't. She didn't know why, but she felt slightly offended. Sure, she was the one who had suggested he'd talk to her… but she hadn't thought he would. Apparently, Ryan preferred talking to the new girl then of talking to her.

And now, she just felt plain stupid.

The blond woman shook her head and started walking again. She would just wait for him to make a fool of himself and come tell her all about it. She just loved laughing at his face sometimes! She finally reached the break room and was pleasantly surprised to see Eric and Natalia sitting at the table, having coffee and munching on a plate of vegetables and dip. "Hey guys!"

"Hey Cal!" Natalia asked, slapping Delko's hand away, keeping him from double-dipping his carrot.

Calleigh sat on one of the empty chairs. "Slow day?"

"Actually, we're working on a case. We're just waiting for our results from DNA." Eric pointed a vegetable at her and frowned. "Where were you anyway?"

The blond woman smiled at her co-worker. "I was at the dentist. And before you ask, Ryan slept late, that's why he hasn't been here."

Natalia lifted an eyebrow at her. "Where IS Ryan, anyway?" She grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "It's like you've been glued to each other, lately. Wherever you are, he is, and vice-versa."

Eric snorted and nodded, agreeing with her.

Calleigh sent them a dark look and pursed her lips. "First, we aren't always together. Second, he wanted to talk to that new tech girl."

Eric threw his head back and laughed. "Ryan, the ladies man! Wanna bet on what stupid things he's gonna tell her?"

Natalia picked up a radish from the plate and threw it at the Cuban. "Shut up, Eric. He's not that bad."

Calleigh shook her head, grinning. "Oh, he is. I think he uses the worst pick-up lines in the history of flirting." She shrugged and looked at her hands, trying to look uninterested. "Have you guys met this new girl?"

The other woman nodded and lifted her chin at Eric. "We met her yesterday. Her name's Lindsay. I thought she was actually pretty nice. A little shy, maybe…"

Eric nodded. "Yeah. Really cute too. I'm starting to think they only hire good looking people in this lab." He turned his head towards the door as Ryan walked in, a satisfied grin plastered on his face.

"Hey you three. How's your day?" He walked around Calleigh and grabbed the chair next to hers.

Eric leaned back in his chair and cocked his head. "How's YOUR day? I heard you met Lindsay, huh?"

Ryan winced and scratched his eyebrows, staying quiet.

Delko snorted and double-dipped his carrot before Natalia she could stop him. "That bad, huh? Smooth, Wolfe, real smooth. What did you say this time?"

The shorter man grinned and shook his head. "Believe me or not, Lindsay and I are going out for a drink tonight."

Eric hollered and high fived him, making both women roll their eyes. Natalia stood from the table and put her empty paper plate in the garbage. "I'm not sure Lindsay would go on that date with you if she saw you men act like Neanderthals."

Delko laughed as Ryan threw a quick glance through the glass walls, making sure no one was there. The darker man stood from his chair and brought his cup to the sink. He then turned around and followed Natalia as they both left the break room, leaving Ryan and Calleigh alone.

Ryan watched them leave for a second and then turned his attention back on Calleigh, who was studying her nails. "Hey, Cal, are you feeling okay? You haven't said anything."

She shrugged. "Maybe I'm more tired than I thought."

He nodded and scratched his eyebrow, leaning into the chair. "Right."

Calleigh sighed and looked up at him, frowning. "Don't you think it's a little soon for a date? I mean, you've barely just met, and you already have plans!"

Ryan lifted his shoulders and grinned. "I don't know. But hey, I'm not about to start complaining. She's cute, she was nice to talk to. I'm sure we're gonna have a great time. And if we don't, we'll go back to being simple colleagues. That's it."

The blond woman shrugged and stood from her chair. "I just think office relationships are a bad idea."

Ryan followed her move and stood in front of her, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hey I'm not asking her to marry me. It's just a few drinks. That's it." He cocked his head, curious. "You're the one who pushed me to talk to her… and now you're bothered by it?"

Calleigh frowned and shook her head. "I'm not bothered. I really don't care what you do on your own time. I was just stating my opinion. You can date whomever you want, it's your choice."

"Right. It's my choice." Ryan frowned as his friend turned on her heels and left him alone in the break room.

XXXXX

Calleigh let out a long sigh, annoyed. She had been staring at the victim's clothing for the past hour, and still had found nothing. Of course, the fact that she couldn't quite focus on the job might have been a reason for this lack of findings. She couldn't think straight. Every time she tried concentrating on the evidence, her mind would wander about.

The blond woman groaned and pushed the magnifying glass away. She set her elbows on the table and rubbed her eyes furiously. Something was up with her and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Sure, Ryan was her best friend. They had been spending a lot of time together lately. They went out clubbing, they went to the restaurant together. He spent as much time at her place as she did at his. That's what best friends do, don't they?

She didn't care if he flirted with young, dark-haired girls. She didn't mind if he went on dates. And she couldn't care less if he spent the night with other women. His friendship was enough. Wasn't it?

Well, if it was enough, she wouldn't be feeling so jealous at the simple thought of Ryan going out for a drink with the new lab tech.

Calleigh sighed again and stared at the wall. She was jealous, and she knew it. She'd just been spending way too much time with Ryan, and now, her mind was playing tricks on her. All this would blow over in a couple of days.

"Hey there's my girl!"

Calleigh gasped and looked at the door, eyes wide. Ryan lifted his hands up and walked towards her, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Hey, calm down babe, it's just me. Nervous much?"

The blond woman rolled her eyes and grinned, unable to keep the blush from reaching her cheeks. "I'm not nervous, I'm… frustrated. I wasn't able to find anything on the vic's clothes."

Ryan nodded and grabbed her by the elbow. "What you need is a coffee break." He smiled at her and pulled her out of the lab. "You'll come back in a few minutes and look at these clothes with fresh eyes, alright? AND I feel like spending some time with you." He winked at her, making her heart beat a little faster.

They walked to the break room and Calleigh sat down on the couch as Ryan prepared the drinks. He finally sat next to her and handed her her cup, which she accepted gratefully.

Calleigh took a sip and closed her eyes, enjoying the taste. She then looked at Ryan and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by someone entering the break room. Ryan turned his gaze from her and a huge smile spread over his face as he saw who had walked in, making Calleigh frown. It was Lindsay.

"Hey Lindsay!"

The brunette smiled shyly at him. "Hi Ryan." She went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water from it. She then turned back around and smiled at him again. She never even glanced in Calleigh's direction. Not like the blond woman would have noticed, since she was too busy staring at Ryan, studying his face. Right now, she would've done anything to be on the receiving end of the smile her friend was sending the other woman.

Lindsay whispered a small "bye" and walked out the room, red-faced.

"What was that about?"

Ryan took a sip from his cup and looked at her, grinning. "Nothing."

Calleigh rolled her eyes and slapped his arm. "Come on. You didn't see the smiles you were sending her."

Ryan snorted and shook his head. "I was just smiling. I can be a very nice person sometimes, Calleigh."

"I know… it's just. Come on. You're my friend. Tell me the truth. You like her."

Ryan shrugged and nodded. "Yeah. I do."

Calleigh's heart sank. She wasn't expecting such a straight answer. "But… You only went on one date with her."

He sighed and smiled. "I know! But we really had a great time! Lindsay's funny, smart, very cute… and once I finally got her talking, we realized we have a lot of things in common! I really like her!"

She was nodding her head, trying to look happy for her friend, but she wasn't. Actually, she was fighting the urge to run after that brunette and rip her head off her shoulders. She wanted to wipe the shy smile from her face and tell her to never talk to Ryan again.

But being the always calm and collected Calleigh, she smiled and touched his arm, telling him she was happy for him. "It's great. Just be careful alright? You're my friend; I don't want to see you get hurt."

Ryan rolled his eyes and stood from the couch. "Everything's gonna be fine, Cal."

'Yeah… 'you're' gonna be fine…'

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_Alright alright.... this fic won't be going in circles forever, alright? I know not much happened in this chapter... but it will soon enough. PROMISE!!!!_

_For now, I just want your REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_And if you have any ideas, PLEASE TELL ME!!!!! 'Cause I've been having a lot of difficulty finding... any. lol_

_THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note:** I'm still having difficulty finding ideas for this fic… PLEASE HELP ME OUT!!!!_

_Don't forget to review the chapter people!!!!!!!!!!! I'm always really happy to get your reviews!_

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**Chapter 4: R&R… Realizations and Rebounds**

Calleigh groaned and turned in her bed for what felt like the thousandth time. She glanced at her alarm clock and winced. She had only two hours left before she'd have to get ready for her day at the lab. She just couldn't sleep. She had gone to bed a little before midnight, and hadn't been able to fall asleep at all. There were way too many thoughts travelling through her head.

And she was in way over her head.

She was in love with her best friend. She loved Ryan Wolfe.

She just couldn't deny it anymore. Ever since he had slept at her place and had kissed her, her feelings for him had started changing. He wasn't just her friend anymore. 'Why couldn't I tell him what happened that night? Why did I have to lie to him and say, even if he had doubts about it, that nothing had happened? Why did I have to go and tell him to talk to this new girl?"

She sighed, threw the covers off and got out of bed. If she wasn't going to sleep, at least she'd do something constructive. She needed to keep her mind occupied. She quickly made her bed and made her way to the bathroom.

XXXXX

Calleigh yawned tiredly as she slowly walked towards the locker room. This day would definitely be a long one. Rubbing her eyes, she pushed the door open and gasped. Of all the things she imagined she could have interrupted in this room, she would've never thought it would be Ryan and Lindsay, kissing passionately. She backed out and leaned against the closest wall. She closed her eyes and took a long shaky breath.

GOD it hurt.

Knowing he was dating some other girl hurt… but seeing him kissing that other woman was simply painful.

She may have just got into work, now, she just wanted to leave this place and hide. She wanted to go home, hide under the covers and sleep. Maybe she would wake up and all this would be a simple nightmare. She'd come back to work, hang out with her friends, go out with her best friend, and everything would be back to normal. She wouldn't be crumbling inside because she'd just seen him holding another woman. She would be congratulating and teasing him about it.

But of course, she couldn't leave. She had to work. Work was good. She could focus her complete attention on a case and push every little feeling she had about Ryan in a very far corner of her mind.

Pushing herself away from the wall, she straightened her back and took a long deep breath. She then made sure she made as much sound as possible as she pushed the door open for the second time.

Thankfully, she must have surprised them, since she found the couple no longer kissing in the middle of the room. They were both frantically searching through their personal lockers. Ryan looked up and smiled when he realized who had walked in. "Hey Cal! How are you doing?"

Calleigh forced a smile and nodded. "Great." Her voice seemed flat. She turned her gaze towards the other person in the room and grinned at her. Lindsay seemed ready to start working too. The brunette smiled at both of them, her gaze lingering a little longer on Ryan. "Have a nice day."

Calleigh nodded and turned her head towards Ryan, who was smiling widely. "I'll talk to you later, Linds."

Since when did he have a little nickname for her? The blond woman hid her shock by putting her head in her locker, putting her purse away. She heard the door open and close and sighed as silence filled the room again.

"What's going on, Cal?"

Calleigh, who was still hiding her face in her locker, closed her eyes and sighed. For a man, Ryan was very observant. She shook her head and forced the smile back on her lips. She glanced towards him, her voice innocent. "What? Nothing's going on. I'm coming into work!"

Ryan frowned slightly and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, for one, you look like you haven't slept in days." He cocked his head and thought for a few seconds. "You also haven't been acting like yourself lately."

She snorted and rolled her eyes at him. "What makes you think that?"

Ryan stared at her, obviously thinking, but stayed quiet. He finally shrugged and scratched his left eyebrow. "I don't know… forget about it. Hey do you have any plans for tonight?"

'Go home and cry myself to sleep…' "No, nothing. I've been feeling a little under the weather lately, so I'm probably going to put my sweats on and relax on my couch."

Ryan laughed and shook his head. "No way. I'm taking you out."

Her forced smile wavered. She didn't need this right now. She grimaced and shook her head slowly. "I don't know…"

He quickly grabbed her arm and closed her locker, guiding her out of the room. "Come on, we haven't done anything together in AGES."

Calleigh shook her head slowly. "Ryan, I'm too tired."

He snorted and gave her a look. "The last time that came out of my mouth, you were dragging me to the restaurant and making me drink myself into oblivion. What makes you think I don't want to do the same thing?"

Calleigh winced. "Please don't make me." 'Let me go home, Ryan.'

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, shaking her a bit. "Nope. You're coming with me, and that's final."

Calleigh shook her head but couldn't help the grin from reaching her lips. She knew she shouldn't, but hearing him tell her he wanted to see her and spend time with her felt great.

Ryan's smile grew larger as he saw her grin. His friend was back.

XXXXX

Calleigh threw her head back and laughed loudly. "OH MY GOD, you have GOT to be kidding me!"

Ryan nodded, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "I'm telling you. I had to walk ten miles, butt naked."

Calleigh shook her head and laughed some more. She was having a great time. After their shift at the crime lab, they had both gotten into Ryan's car and gone straight to their favorite Italian restaurant. They ate, drank, talked and laughed, just like old times. She had missed this.

'This' being Ryan. Plain and simple. She'd been spending so much time thinking about how on earth she could be in love with him, she had forgotten how much he could be a great friend.

Ryan sighed and finished his drink. "Do you want to go to a club? I have to move or I'll fall asleep."

The blond woman smiled and nodded her head eagerly. "Sure! It's been a while since I shook what my momma gave me."

He pointed his finger at her and smirked. "Remind me to thank your momma for that!"

"Let's go!" They paid their bills and made their way out of the restaurant. There was a club a few blocks away, so they decided to walk there. The music inside was loud and the temperature was hot. The dance floor was filled with moving bodies. Ryan led her to the bar and ordered a couple of drinks for them. He grabbed his glass and held it up to her. Calleigh picked up her own and held it up to him, giggling as he winked at her and drank its whole content in one shot. He then grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the crowded dance floor.

Calleigh loved dancing with Ryan. Not that he was an excellent dancer; he just liked fooling around and he always made her laugh. After a few songs, they went back to the bar, where they ordered another round of drinks. Calleigh was having a blast, and she could see Ryan was having a great time too. She glanced around the club, smiling and took a sip from her drink.

"Hey Cal!" The blond woman turned her attention back on her friend and gasped. Lindsay. Ryan had his arm wrapped around her waist and was holding her tightly against his side. "I knew Lindsay liked hanging out in this club, but I wasn't sure if we'd see her!"

Calleigh forced a smile on her face and waved at the younger woman. "Hi! It's great seeing you here!"

The brunette nodded her head in her direction, but her eyes were glued on Ryan. "Do you want to dance?"

Ryan smiled and grabbed her hand, leading her on the dance floor. He never even glanced towards Calleigh, who was left alone by the bar. She turned around and laid her elbows on the bar, looking down into her drink. Her evening had just gone from perfect to horrible. How could he leave her alone and go dance with that… chick? 'He likes her… he told you.' Calleigh frowned and looked up, her eyes lingering at her reflexion. 'I'm pathetic…' She winced as she spotted her friend and his 'girlfriend' on the dance floor. He seemed to be having so much fun. He wasn't thinking about her.

She looked away and emptied her drink. She shouldn't be thinking about him either. She was Calleigh Duquesne. She was a strong, independent woman. She couldn't care less if he wasn't in love with her. She'd get over it. She snorted and closed her eyes. 'I guess it's time for me to leave…'

"Hi!" Calleigh opened her green eyes and turned her head slightly, acknowledging the person who had just spoken to her. He was handsome. About her age. Blond. He had a little scruffiness going on. She smiled at him. "Hi!"

He smiled at her, perfect white teeth almost blinding her. "I noticed you were alone… can I offer you a drink?"

Calleigh glanced towards the dance floor and finally nodded. "Sure!"

The mysterious man waved at the waiter and pointed at her drink. "By the way, I'm Steven."

Calleigh smiled her brightest smile and shook his hand. "Calleigh."

"Nice ot meet you, Calleigh."

She held his gaze as she took a long sip from her drink. She knew it was probably the alcohol flowing in her system talking, but that's what she needed. A rebound. A guy that would make her forget about Ryan.

Fooling around with a complete stranger had never been her thing… but desperate situations led to desperate measures.

Calleigh turned her gaze back towards Steven and smiled. She emptied her drink quickly and slipped her hand into his. "Would you like to dance with me Steven?"

The blond man smirked, obviously really happy with her demand, and let her lead him on the dance floor. She turned around and stayed really close to him, moving her hips sensually to the music. She could feel the warmth of the alcohol flowing through her body, as she let him touch and caress her curves.

They danced to a few songs, their movements getting hotter and dirtier, until she decided she needed another drink. She took his hands and wrapped them around her waist from behind, leading him towards the bar. As she got closer, she spotted Ryan, who was patiently sitting on a stool, alone. She had completely forgotten about him.

She smiled stupidly at him, still holding onto her partner's hands. "Hey! Ryan! You havin' fun? Where's Lindsay?"

Ryan frowned slightly at her tone and glanced at the man standing behind her. "She left… Are you feeling okay, Calleigh?"

Calleigh chuckled and looked up at the blond man. "Am I okay… Sam?"

The blond man grinned and looked at Ryan, lifting his chin towards him. "It's Steven." He then glanced down at the cute woman who was still looking up at him and nodded. "Yeah, she's in great hands."

Ryan's frown deepened as he kept his eyes on his friend. "Why don't I take you home, Cal? I think you've had enough to drink. I wouldn't want you to do anything you'd regret."

Calleigh snorted and shook her head. "Nah, I think I'll let Steve here take me home."

Steven grinned, obviously happy with her decision.

Ryan, on the other hand, didn't think it was a good idea. "I don't think so. I'm taking you home." He reached out and took her hand, trying to pull her towards him. "Come on."

Calleigh, frowned and pulled her hand out of his hold. "No." She waved around and smiled at him bitterly. "Go, have fun with Lindsay. I'll be fine. I'm always fine." She then turned around and led a smiling Steven towards the exit, leaving Ryan at the bar.

* * *

_Soooo ??? What's d'you think?????????? PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note: **__Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH for the reviews!!!! I was having doubt about this story, but seeing as I'm getting good reviews, it makes me want to go on!!!! _

_This chap is real angsty… I don't know why, but I'm a sucker for tears!_

_Please keep these reviews coming!!! ^_^_

* * *

**Chapter 5: One mistake over the other…**

Calleigh groaned as loud music woke her up from a short dreamless night. She reached out towards the offending object and turned it off, swearing under her breath. "I should've asked for a day off…" She murmured. She felt as if she had slept for a total of fifteen minutes… and now she needed to get to work. She contemplated calling in sick, but decided against it. She wasn't like that. She wasn't the type of person who goes out, gets drunk and lies about being sick to avoid going into work. She had gotten herself into this state, and now, she needed to deal with it. Plain and simple.

She turned on her back and painfully pushed the covers away. What a great/horrifying evening last night had been. Everything had started so well, she was having a blast with Ryan and she had finally started feeling like her old self again. And then, everything had changed for the worst. _She_ had to show up and ruin everything.

Calleigh took a long shaky breath, thinking about how the evening had ended. She could still see the disappointment in Ryan's eyes as she told him she was leaving with Steven instead of him. Even if she had been hurting, having him look at her that way had almost felt worse.

After she lead Steven out of the bar, he had taken her to his car and helped her in. At that exact moment, she _had_ wanted to bring him home and let him take her. But as he drove through the streets of Miami, the fog in her mind had started clearing. She knew he thought he would be getting an easy lay, but she also knew she wouldn't be doing it. She wasn't a one night stand type of gal. She didn't even know the guy's last name for god's sake. Even slightly drunk, she could still make the right decisions… well, at least some of them.

So she had let him drive her home quietly. And when he had stopped the car in front of her condo and had started unbuckling his seat belt, she had put a hand on his forearm and stopped him from going any further. She had thanked him for bringing her home, but told him she would be spending the night alone. Of course, he had tried changing her mind, telling her he really felt like this could be more than a one night stand, but her mind was set. At least he had been a good sport about it.

As soon as she had walked inside her house, she had stepped out of her shoes and dropped her purse next to the front door, not even bothering with turning on the lights. She only had one goal: get to bed and pass out.

She had blindly made her way through her place, going straight to her bedroom, dropping one piece of clothing after the other. Clad only in her underwear, she had dived under the covers and had fallen asleep instantly.

Looking up at the white ceiling, Calleigh thought about the mess she had gotten herself into. First, she had kissed her best friend, only to realize she was in love with him. Then, she had gone and lied to him about everything and was now jealous because he was with another woman. And now, when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she had probably lost his friendship too, since she had had to go and act like a total brainless slut.

She shook her head and groaned as she forced herself out of bed. She didn't know how she was going to fix what she did. It would be easy to blame the alcohol, but she knew it had only helped her a little. She had acted out of desperation. She had wanted to make him jealous.

But he hadn't been jealous. He had been disappointed in her. And that was worse than losing him to another woman.

She slowly patted through her bedroom and took off her underwear, going straight for the bathroom. What she needed right now, was a long, hot shower… and at least half a dozen painkillers.

Not daring to glance at the bathroom mirror, she got in her shower and started it, moaning quietly as the water massaged her tired muscles. She shampooed her long blond hair and washed her skin, trying to put some life back into her exhausted body. She stayed under the water for a good twenty minutes, until she finally started feeling human again. She then got out, dried herself off and wrapped the fluffy towel around her light body.

She took two Aspirins and decided they would go down better with a large glass of orange juice. She made her way towards the kitchen and grabbed the OJ from the refrigerator. Not even taking out a glass, she just popped the two pills in her mouth and drowned them with the juice.

She put the bottle back into her fridge and turned back around, jumping when she realized she wasn't alone. She shrieked, her hands going for the only thing covering her naked body.

Ryan was sitting on the couch, staring at her quietly.

"RYAN??!?!?! What are you doing here?" She yelled.

He sighed and stood up from the couch. "I wanted to talk to you."

She frowned and wrapped her arms around herself, still holding onto her towel. "How did you get in here?"

He took a few steps towards her and stood awkwardly, pointing behind him. "I used the front door."

For a reason she didn't know, Calleigh could feel the anger rising in her chest. She was tired and had a pounding headache… and right now, she didn't need his accusing stare. She wasn't ready for a confrontation. "What's wrong with you? You don't walk in someone's house just like that!"

Ryan lifted his eyebrows, surprised at her reaction, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Actually, I was about to ask you the same thing! Did you know you forgot to lock your front door when you came back last night? You of all people should know…"

She rolled her eyes and waved one of her hands around. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, stupid mistake, won't happen again. Still, you had no right to let yourself in."

Ryan laughed bitterly and sent her a dark look, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why not? From what I saw yesterday, you'll let anyone in your place."

Calleigh's face hardened. Of all the years she had known him, he had never used such harsh words with her. And he had said them intentionally, which made his words even more painful. "I want you to leave, Ryan."

He shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere, Calleigh. Not 'till I'm done talking to you."

She shook her head slowly, her eyes cold and bitter. "Well, I don't want to talk to you, Ryan. Right now, I'm gonna go get dressed. When I come out of my bedroom, I want you gone." She turned around and walked away, leaving him to stand alone in the living room.

"And how are you gonna get to work?" He got no answer.

He shook his head at her stubbornness. "Calleigh! At least let me drive you to the lab; your car's still there!" His only answer was the sound of her bedroom door closing.

If she didn't want to talk to him now, it was fine. He could accept it. However, he knew she'd have to talk to him at some point. He rubbed his face with his hands and sighed. Things were messed up… and he was making them worse.

XXXXX

Calleigh let out a long shaky breath as she sat down on her unmade bed. Still holding onto the towel covering her naked form, she reached up and wiped away a small tear that had made its way down her cheek.

She was such a screw up.

She heard her front door open and close and she closed her eyes tightly. Not only did she lose the man she loved, she was on her way to losing her best friend too.

But what was she supposed to do? She had been more than ready to talk to him. But seeing him in her house, accusing her of not being safe, of having sex with whomever she met… How was she supposed to react? This was just too much.

Wiping her cheeks angrily, she stood from her bed and let the towel fall to the floor. He didn't deserve her tears. She wasn't going to cry, not after what he had said to her. She walked to her closet and threw the doors open. Right now, what was important was for her to get ready for her day at the lab. She chose black pants and a matching black and white striped shirt. She grabbed clean underwear from her dresser and quickly got dressed.

She then went back to the bathroom and combed her wet hair aggressively. Not even bothering with drying it, she tied it tightly high on her head. She put on a little make-up, trying to hide the bags under her eyes, and spread soft pink lipstick on her lips. She finally stared at her reflection and sighed.

She looked like she had been hit by a truck, but it would have to do.

She walked out to her now empty living room and grabbed her purse, from which she took her cell phone. She quickly called for a cab and looked back towards the kitchen. She hadn't eaten breakfast, but she wasn't hungry. She'd just have to grab something from work.

When she finally made it into the lab, she didn't have to go far before Horatio got a hold of her. She grinned at him and watched as he slowly took off his glasses. He watched her silently, probably noticing her slightly bloodshot eyes.

"Calleigh, are you feeling alright?"

She shrugged and gave him her best smile. "Sure, just tired. Have you got something for me?"

His eyes searched her face for a few more seconds and he finally nodded his head. "We just got a phone call from a woman who says she's found her husband in their backyard. Alexx is already on her way there, so is Mrs. Boa Vista. I'd like you to join them."

"Sure. I'll get right to it."

Horatio nodded and watched her quietly as she went back into the elevator, making a mental note to keep an eye on his friend.

Calleigh was glad she got to leave the lab so quickly. This meant she could focus her mind on solving this case, and if she was lucky enough, she wouldn't have to work with Ryan, which would make her day a lot easier.

She got into a hummer and drove towards the crime scene, eager to start working. She finally parked the car next to Natalia's and walked out, grabbing her kit from the passenger seat.

* * *

_Sooooo??? What'd you think? Is it angsty enough? Did you feel your heart tighten a bit for Calleigh? Poor girl!_

_But you all know… Ryan's not a bastard… so he'll come around and apologize… you probably all know why he's doing this…_

_REVIEWS PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note: **__Again, thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for your reviews!!!! Now, I feel like making this last even longer!!! I love you all!!!_

_There's a little bit of Ryan's side of the story in this chapter. Figured it wasn't really fair for him to be left out all the time…_

_Hope you enjoy it!!!!!_

_PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Screwed Up Friendships**

"Alright. What's going on?"

Calleigh winced but kept her eyes glued to the ground. She knew the question would be coming sooner or later. She forced a smile on her face and looked up at her friend, frowning slightly. "What are you talking about?"

Natalia cocked her head and grinned. "Come on. Stop acting so innocent. I can see that something's up."

The blond woman shrugged, eyebrows raised. She hated lying. But she wasn't about to start talking about how pathetic she felt. "I'm fine. I just didn't sleep enough last night." She glanced back up at the brunette and grinned. "I should be back to my normal self by tomorrow."

Natalia frowned, the grin still plastered on her lips. "Riiiight."

Calleigh nodded. "Right." She stood from her crouched position and lifted her chin at her. "Are you done?"

Natalia nodded and grabbed her kit. "Yeah, I've got everything. I'll see you at the lab, alright?" She put her hand on her friend's shoulder and made her look up, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you sure everything's okay? You know you can tell me anything. I'm a very good listener!" she gave her an encouraging smile.

Calleigh looked down, thinking. It would be so easy to just open up to Natalia. But it wouldn't make her feel any better… or maybe it would.

She sighed unnoticeably. She needed to know if what she was feeling was as crazy as she thought it was. Or maybe she just needed to know if she was completely crazy, period.

But did she really want her co-worker to know that page of her personal life? Natalia was her friend…

No. What she needed right now, was to push everything out of her mind, and focus on her job.

She finally grinned at her friend and nodded her head. "I'm fine! There's nothing wrong." She laughed and pointed towards their rides. "Get in your car. I'll just make sure we got everything and then I'll go back to the lab. I'll see you later."

Calleigh was relieved as the other woman decided not to push her and smiled before making her way towards her Hummer. Calleigh waited for her to drive off before she let out a long shaky breath. She was about to blow. The reason why she had decided to come into work in the first place, had been to get her mind to focus on something other than Ryan Wolfe... and every freaking second, someone HAD to remind her about how much she felt like crap.

She shook her head and took her kit back to the hummer, ready to bring her findings back to the lab, but not so ready for the conversation she would have to have with one person in particular.

XXXXXXXX

"Alright, something's up, Wolfe, and I want to know what it is."

Ryan glanced towards the taller man and frowned. "Huh?"

Eric put his hands on the table and leaned towards him. "Don't give me that! You've been acting like a total jackass ever since the moment you came in this morning. Now, if I have to spend the rest of the shift with you, I want to know what's making you in such a bad mood."

"I don't want to talk about it." He grumbled, his frown deepening.

Delko snorted and shook his head at him. "And I don't have to put up with your shitty mood, but I'm still here, helping you out with this case. Now you tell me what's going on."

Ryan sighed, clearly irritated. "Since when do you care?"

"Since I had to spend the last two hours treating you like a woman with PMS."

The shorter man sent him a dark look. Delko wouldn't let it go. "Women." He murmured, his eyes glued to the pictures laid out on the table before him.

Eric laughed and pointed a finger towards him. "Is it Lindsay? Man, I knew that chick was way too nice to be _normal_… She's nuts, right? She's a murderer hiding behind the image of a cute, shy woman…"

Ryan shook his head and opened his mouth to tell him how stupid he was but was interrupted as Natalia strutted happily in the room.

She walked up to stand next to Eric and gave both men a huge smile. "Hey guys! Anyone wants to grab something to eat with me? I'm starved!"

The cuban glanced at her and nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll go with you. I need to get out of here. " He took off his lab coat and hung it by the door. "Where's Calleigh, I haven't seen her all day! Is she coming with us?"

Natalia shook her head and shrugged. "She's finishing up at the crime scene. But I don't think she'd come along anyway. She's been acting really weird."

Eric frowned and looked at Ryan, who was trying real hard not to show any feelings. "Oh my… _Calleigh_??!? Cal is the woman???"

Ryan opened his mouth to respond but was cut short as Natalia hit his chest with her fist. "What have you done to her? She looks like she was run over by a stampede."

He gasped and rubbed the spot where she had hit him. "I…"

She put her hands on her waist, clearly not about to let him say anything in his defense. "I don't get it! You guys used to be so close. It was almost freaky how much fun you could have with each other. We all thought you'd end up together."

Eric nodded his head, agreeing with her. "Yeah, what happened to them?"

Natalia grimaced. "Lindsay happened."

The taller man snorted and looked down at her. "How on earth could he go and do something so stupid."

"Beats me."

"He really has no clue when it comes to women."

She nodded again. "You're telling me."

Ryan shook his head and threw his hands up. "I _AM_ in the room, you know."

The both stayed quiet for a few seconds and stared at him. "Oh we know. We just think you're too stupid to see what's going on right under your nose."

Natalia nodded her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah… wouldn't want to ask too much from you."

Ryan breathed deeply and gave them a dark look. "Didn't you want me to be in a _good_ mood? 'Cause this…" he pointed at both of them, "is not really helping."

They both exchanged glances and went back to staring at him. "Tell us what you did to her."

He groaned and rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed with their comments. "I didn't do anything to her. She did everything to herself." He grumbled.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Eric's irritation was growing. He didn't like it when people attacked his friends.

Ryan shrugged and looked down, visibly not comfortable with the turn in the conversation. "Ask her." He winced and shook his head. "Everything's screwed up anyway. She won't talk to me anymore."

It was Natalia's turn to step in, her tone slightly softer. "Oh come on, you know Calleigh's not like that. She'll come around, whatever happened between you two."

He looked up at her and sighed. "Yeah, well… I won't hold my breath." He finally murmured, putting an end to the conversation.

Eric threw his hands up in irritation. "Alright! We're leaving. You want to keep acting like a negative ass, please do." He pointed at the shorter man. "But you'll be alone while doing it." He turned on his heels and strutted out of the room, leaving his two co-workers to stare at him.

Natalia grimaced and looked back at her friend. She could see that all this was really affecting him, and she actually felt sad for him. She reached out and brushed his forearm with her fingertips. "See you later, Ryan."

"Yeah. Sure." He watched her retreating form for a few seconds and let out a long breath. He tried setting his mind back on his work, staring at the set of pictures he had spread on the table. He picked one, held it close to his face and finally threw it back on the table, giving up. Everything was so screwed up. He didn't know what to do. How would he be able to concentrate on this case?

Actually, he knew exactly what he needed to do. He needed to talk to Calleigh about what had happened at the club and at her place that morning.

He sighed and shook his head. He also needed to confront her about what had really happened all these nights ago.

* * *

_SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO????????????????????????? Now you know! Ryan DOES remember what happened that night… what is he going to do? What SHOULD he do? _

_If you have ANY ideas, please let me know!!!!_

_DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's note:**__ YAAAAAAAAY for all your reviews!!! ^_^_

_I'm afraid this story is slowly coming to an end… Ryan and Calleigh can't keep going in circles forever!!!_

_Please review the story people!!!!! I want to know what you think!!!_

* * *

**Chapter 7: Confrontations**

Ryan felt his whole body tense as he heard the door open. He risked a glance towards the person who had just walked in the locker room and breathed in relief. It wasn't Calleigh.

Sure, he knew that he had to talk to Cal. Just… not at the lab.

Not that he felt better with the person who had walked in. It was Lindsay. This was another thing he would have to take care of. He was the one who had made the first steps with Lindsay, and he did like her. She was a very nice girl, and he had had a lot of fun with her. She just wasn't… the woman he wanted right now.

He smiled at the brunette, realizing he had been staring at her. "Hi. Your day's over?"

Lindsay nodded her head and opened her locker. "Hey Ryan! Yeah. I can't wait to get home and relax a bit. It's been a long day."

He nodded and turned back towards his own locker, taking his personal items from the top shelf. He didn't hear her move, nor did he see her walk closer to him. His eyes did grow wide though, as he felt two feminine hands slide along his waist.

"Ryan… would you like to come home with me? We could have supper, rent a movie, hang out…"

He winced and looked down. 'I guess it's now or never…' He slowly turned around and gently pushed her hands away. "Lindsay… I think this whole thing was a bad idea." He sighed and shook his head. He really hated doing this. "Everything went way too fast between you and me… and… you know… I think… there's…" he sighed, irritated at himself. Why did he always have to sound so retarded???' "What I mean to say is…"

Lindsay rolled her eyes and sighed. "Ryan, could you please just say what you mean to say? I don't think I'm gonna be that shocked anyway."

Ryan frowned, slightly surprised by her comment. "Huh?"

She rolled her eyes at him again. "Oh come on. I know what's going on with you and Calleigh." She raised her hand up, stopping him from denying anything. "And before you say it, she's definitely more than just a friend."

Ryan sighed. "You're really taking this well."

He wasn't totally comfortable with her reaction. It was the first time he had to "break up" with someone who was taking it so well.

Lindsay seemed to see his discomfort. She laid a hand on his forearm and smiled. "Hey, it's fine. We hung out, had fun. I'll survive." She scrunched up her nose and grinned. "You're a great kisser, by the way. Calleigh's a lucky girl."

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "Lindsay, Cal and I aren't together."

"Yet."

He stared at her for a few seconds and finally nodded his head. "Thanks for being so understanding about this."

She shrugged and grinned at him. "Hey, it's fine! I really liked spending time with you. Give me a call if you want to go out sometime!"

"Sure! You're awesome, Linds."

"I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Yeah!"He waved and watched her leave the room. If only every woman was as simple as Lindsay was. He sighed and closed his locker.

Time to face the music.

XXXXX

Calleigh breathed a long relieved sigh as she finally unlocked her front door and walked inside her condo. She had succeeded in avoiding all of Natalia's and Eric's questions about why she seemed in such a weird mood and now, she was just glad to finally be home, away from all the drama.

She took her shoes off and padded into her kitchen. She checked inside her refrigerator and grimaced. She'd have to settle for takeout, since she hadn't had the time to go shopping for groceries this week.

She grabbed her phone and dialed her favorite Chinese place. They told her the food wouldn't be there for about forty-five minutes, so she decided to grab a shower before the food came. She went to her bedroom and took off her clothes. She then walked into her bathroom, turned the shower on and stood in front of the mirror to untie her hair. She sighed as she stared at her reflection. She looked exhausted. Well, she felt exhausted. A long shower and a good night sleep would fix everything.

Yeah, right.

She turned her back to the mirror and got into the shower. She took her time, letting the hot water massage her shoulders and wash away the stress of the day. She would have stayed there for a few hours if she didn't have to pay the delivery boy for the food she had ordered. She finally stepped out and dried herself off. She then walked back into her bedroom and pulled on a white tank top and light blue pajama shorts. She was combing her long blond hair when she heard a knock. The food was here early!

She walked quickly towards the front door and opened it, but gasped in surprise. "Ryan!" She folded her arms against her chest, suddenly feeling slightly underdressed. "What are you doing here?"

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" His voice was soft. He hadn't changed from his work clothes, but had taken his tie and blazer off. He had unbuttoned the three top buttons of his shirt and had rolled up his sleeves. He looked tired, his eyes slightly darker than they usually were. He clearly wasn't here to fight with her.

Calleigh, on the other hand, couldn't help herself from feeling a little nervous about Ryan's presence on her door step. "Why?"

He sighed, trying to build his courage. "I need to talk to you."

She stayed quiet but took a step back, showing him in. Ryan nodded and walked in. He turned and watched her as she shut the door and walked towards her couch. She didn't sit, just turned around and stared at him, waiting.

Ryan took a deep breath and shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked at his feet, trying to find the right way to start this conversation.

Calleigh couldn't keep herself from growing slightly anxious as she watched him open and shut his mouth repeatedly. "Well?"

He scratched his eyebrow nervously and sighed. He'd have to say something eventually. "I just wanted to say that… I'm sorry… for what I said this morning. I had no right to say something like that to you." He watched her face, waiting to see if she was going to say anything, but she stayed quiet. He sighed and took his hands out of his pockets, rubbing them over his face tiredly. "What you do is your business… not mine."

Calleigh rolled her eyes and looked away. "Ryan, you only _assumed_ I spent the night with that guy… I never said I did."

He lifted his eyebrows, a little surprised. "So… you didn't?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. He brought me home and left. I spent the night alone." She groaned and shook her head again, frowning. "Since when do you care so much who I spend my time with anyway?"

He shrugged, staring at his feet again. "I think I've always cared about it… Calleigh, you're way more important to me than you think."

There was a long pause. "What do you mean?" He barely heard her, her voice almost a whisper.

He sighed, slightly uncomfortable. "Calleigh, I don't think I need to draw you a picture, alright. I like you. A lot. And these feelings run deeper than those you normally feel for a friend." There. He had said it. He watched her face, waiting for a reaction. She stayed quiet, her eyes wide as she stared down at his feet. Ryan held his breath, feeling even more anxious, if that were even possible. "Say something." He murmured.

Calleigh shook her head and looked up, frowning. "That's bullshit. You wouldn't be dating Lindsay if you had feelings for me."

Ryan knew this one was coming. "It was never serious between Lindsay and I. We went out that one time, that's it. The second time I saw her was when you and I went out."

He stopped talking, waiting to see if she wanted to add something. But she stayed silent, her eyes never leaving a spot on the wall behind him. "Calleigh… Tell me one thing. The night I spent here… the night we shared a kiss… did it mean something to you?"

She gaped at him, her eyes boring into his. "You remember?"

He took a step closer to her. "I didn't… at the beginning… but when I started remembering what had happened…" He sighed and frowned down at her. "Why did you lie to me when I asked you about that night? 'Cause you might have been drunk, but I know you do remember."

She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head. "It was a mistake. It should've never happened."

Ryan lifted his hands and laid them on her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him. "Do you really think that? Because if you do, I'll walk out that door and never talk about it again. I'll be content with having you as a friend and a co-worker… nothing more."

She looked down, her heart racing. Of course it had meant something. That kiss had changed everything. It was the reason why she'd been struggling with her feelings for the last few weeks. It was the reason why she had been losing sleep and fighting with her heart. She brought her eyes back to his. His hazel eyes were filled with… hope?

She had to risk it. If she didn't, she'd never know if he felt the same way for her as she did for him. "No."

"No?"

"No, it wasn't a mistake." She let out a long shaky breath. "Well for me it wasn't. The only thing I regret is for both of us to have been drunk when it happened."

Ryan sighed and swallowed with difficulty as a small smile slowly appeared on his lips. "We're not drunk now…" He bent his head, slowly closing the distance between them.

Calleigh held her breath, feeling the heat of his breath on her skin. He was going to kiss her. GOD did she want him to kiss her. She parted her lips, desperately needing to feel his lips on hers.

That's when the delivery boy decided to interrupt them. They both shut their eyes and groaned, the moment gone. Calleigh took a step back and looked down. "That's the food I ordered." She murmured. She walked to her purse and took her wallet out before opening the door. She paid for the food and took the bag from the delivery boy's hand. She shut the door and turned, walking around Ryan as she made her way towards the kitchen. She set the bag down and sighed, resting her hands on the counter.

She never heard Ryan move and walk up to her. She gasped as she felt warm hands rest on her waist. She let him turn her around and closed her eyes as his soft lips pressed against hers. She moaned quietly as he wrapped his strong arms around her body, bringing her tightly against his chest.

He bit her lower lip gently, asking for entrance to her mouth. She parted her lips and let him wrap his tongue around hers, finally fully tasting each other. The kiss they had shared so many nights ago was nothing compared to this one, which was filled with pent up passion and hot desire.

Their hands roamed over each other's body, lighting fires all over their skin. Calleigh groaned as she felt Ryan's lips part from hers, and opened her eyes. Panting, she looked up at his face and grinned. He was looking down at her, his hands gently holding her face up to his.

"I think… I'm in love with you." He whispered.

She breathed in. "You think?" She whispered back.

His smile only grew wider as he nodded his head slowly.

"Well… I _think_ I'm in love with you too."

Ryan grinned. "You think, huh?"

She nodded her blond head. "Yeah."

He paused, his eyes searching hers. "Well, do you want to eat supper or do you want me to show you how much I _think_ I love you?"

Calleigh grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him down to her. "The food can wait."

* * *

_Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase review this chapter!!!!!!_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's note:**__ Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy everyone!!!!!!! This is most probably the last chapter I'm going to write for this story. Hope you all enjoy it!!!_

_Read and Review pleaaaase!!!!!!!!!!!!_

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Morning After (The Right One)**

Calleigh lazily stretched her aching body as she slowly opened her eyes. She stared at the ceiling, like she'd been doing every morning in the last few weeks. Except this time, she could feel a smile reach her lips. She turned her head and looked to her right.

Her heart actually skipped a beat.

He was still there.

And OH was he cute when he was asleep. The hair sticking out in every direction. The swollen lips, slightly parted. The little frown on his brow. The delicious naked skin, barely hidden from her view.

Calleigh sighed and turned her gaze back on the ceiling. All these weeks spent crying, worrying, fighting with herself for feeling the way she did were all behind her. Ryan actually felt the same way she did. And he'd showed her last night.

And it'd been incredible.

The blond woman felt herself blush as she turned her eyes back on the naked man sleeping next to her. There was no better feeling than waking up next to the man you love.

She sighed and got a glimpse of her alarm clock. They'd have to start getting ready for work if they'd want to make it on time. She frowned as she started thinking about work. What would their co-workers say? Would Ryan and her tell them about their new found feelings? _Should _they tell them about their relationship? Maybe Ryan wouldn't want to tell everyone. Maybe he'd want to keep it a secret for a while. Maybe Ryan didn't see this as a relationship. Maybe…

"Stop thinking. You're giving me a headache." A voice mumbled.

Calleigh frowned and watched Ryan's face as he kept his eyes closed. "I'm not…"

"Yes you are." He breathed deeply and opened his eyes, hazel meeting with light green. "We got into this whole mess because of that pretty brain of yours." He mumbled, still half asleep.

She frowned but stayed quiet, trying to understand what he meant.

He sighed and raised a hand up to rub his eyes. "If you'd just told me the truth from the beginning, we could've avoided all this."

She gaped at him and sat up, holding the covers in front of herself. "You could've said something too, you know."

"I didn't want to force you." He answered, lifting himself up on his elbows.

"That's bullshit." She groaned, looking away from him.

"What???" he raised his eyebrows, surprised.

She turned her eyes back to him and glared at him. "Are you kidding me? You're such a wimp! You just didn't want to be the first one to confess your feelings. That's it."

He frowned, thinking. "As I recall, I was the one who made the first move. I asked you to tell me what had happened that night. Twice."

"You didn't remember!" she said, a little louder than she intended.

He shook his head, disagreeing. "Not the second time. The second time I tried talking to you about it, you lied. Again. So I thought you had made your choice."

Calleigh looked away and stayed quiet for a few seconds, staring at the wall. She finally sighed and closed her eyes, remembering the way she had felt when she had awakened next to him. She smiled to herself and turned her gaze back to the man who was still watching her. "What are we doing?"

Ryan wrinkled his nose and grinned. "You're right. It's all behind us now." He raised a hand to her neck and let his fingers slide down the bare skin of her back. "Let's start this over." He made her lie down next to him and scooted closer, letting his hand travel from her neck to her bare hip. "Good morning." He whispered.

Calleigh smiled sweetly and raised her hand to touch his cheek. "Good morning." She whispered back.

He grinned and moved even closer, pressing himself against her. "Sleep well?" he kept whispering, his voice getting huskier.

She wrapped her arm around his waist, her hand coming to rest over his bottom. "The best sleep I've ever had."

Ryan grinned and hid his face in her neck, teasing her skin with his lips. "Really?"

Calleigh closed her eyes and let out a satisfied sigh. "Huh, huh."

He chuckled at her lack of words and kept kissing her skin. "Me too. Hey, you know what?"

"Huh?"

He smiled and brought his lips up to her ear. "I love you." He whispered.

Calleigh grinned and whispered back. "I love you too." She moaned as he attacked her neck, biting and licking her skin, making her whole body tingle with need. He caressed her curves, his warm hands travelling down her back, over her bottom and then up her side to her breasts. Her hands mimicked his, stroking his skin before taking hold of his hair, bringing his mouth up to hers.

She captured his lips, moaning into his mouth as his tongue made contact with hers. He groaned, pressing his need against her thigh, sending a rush of arousal straight to her center.

And that's when her brain started working again. She broke the kiss, moaning as he started kissing down her chest. "Ryan… as much as I want this… GOD do I want this…" she bit her lip as his lips touched a very sensitive part of her skin. "… We have to start getting ready for work."

He shook his head and moved over her, pinning her down with his weight.

Calleigh moaned and scratched his back, desperately trying to remember why she was trying to stop him. "Ryan…"

Ryan groaned and hid his face into her neck. "Alright. How much time to we have left?"

"Not much…" she murmured.

He pulled his head back to look down at her, grinning. "Here's something you might not know about me. I'm a pro at multi-tasking."

XXXXX

Calleigh parked her car and smiled as she climbed out and quickly walked towards the lab. Ryan and her had decided to take their separate cars to get to work, since Ryan had to go by his place to get a change of clothes. They had also agreed that they wouldn't tell the others about the change in their relationship. Not that they wanted to keep it a secret… they just wanted to take their time. After what had been going on between the two of them for the last few weeks, they wanted to take a break from all the gossiping.

Still, she couldn't keep herself from grinning stupidly as she made her way into the elevator. She'd been feeling so bad for so long, she now felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt happy. And in a way, she did want everyone to know.

She grinned as the doors opened and she walked out in the lab. She smiled at the people she crossed, probably already giving them things to talk about. She went to the locker room, dropped her personals into her locker and decided coffee would be great. She hadn't had that much sleep last night… for all the right reasons.

She went to the break room, where she found Natalia sitting at the table, reading the paper and sipping on her own cup of black coffee. "Hey Nat!"

The brunette looked up and smiled at her friend. "Good morning, Cal." She stayed quiet, observing the blonde woman silently as she got busy preparing her own hot drink. "How are you feeling today?"

Calleigh shrugged, her back still turned to her. "I'm doing great!"

Natalia's frown deepened slightly. "Well, that's an improvement from yesterday. Something happened?" Ryan _had_ to have talked to her…

Calleigh joined her at the table and sat, grinning. "I told you I hadn't really been sleeping well. I just had a good night sleep and woke up refreshed!"

Natalia nodded her head, a knowing smile plastered on her face. "_Sure_."

Calleigh lifted her eyebrows, her smile innocent. "Sure."

The two women stared at each other, both frowning and smiling as they tried to read each other's thoughts. Calleigh couldn't help noticing how strange Natalia was acting. They both took a sip from their steaming cups, still looking at each other, when one of their partners walked into the room and clapped his hands together, making them jump.

"Hey!!!! Aren't I a lucky guy! My two favorite, most beautiful women, waiting for me in the break room. Good morning!" Eric said, smiling widely.

Natalia was the first one to react, giving him a knowing grin. "Good morning, Fabio. Had a good night, I see."

Eric pulled the chair next to hers and sat, leaning back with a satisfied smirk on his face. "Superb, you mean."

The brunette nodded her head. "Right. I had a good night too. And Calleigh seems to have had a great night also!!! Isn't that cool!" she said, her voice filled with forced excitement.

Eric's eyebrows shot up, suddenly forgetting about his own incredible night and focusing his attention on what the blonde woman would have to say. "Oh yeah? Cal, you had a great night, huh? Something you want to tell us?"

Calleigh frowned, not really getting her friend's sudden interest. "Huh… no. I just went to bed early. That's it. Absolutely nothing exciting about it."

He nodded his head, giving her the same knowing smile Natalia had given her a few minutes before. "_Sure_."

She sighed, irritated. "Yes, _sure_!" she insisted. Eric and Natalia exchanged a look, grinning. "What's going on? You guys are really acting strange today. You're kind of making me nervous."

Natalia giggled and rolled her eyes at her friend. "The reason why we seem so strange is because we know."

"Know what?"

She grinned, lifting her eyebrows."Cal… we _know_."

Calleigh shook her head, keeping the innocent act. "How could you know? I don't even know what you're saying you know."

Eric laughed and pointed at his blonde friend. "Calleigh Duquesne. You are the worst liar in the world."

She gaped, slowly shaking her head. "But I'm not…"

"Good morning people!"

They all turned their heads and looked at Ryan. Two of them had smiles plastered on their faces. One had a deep frown on her brow. "Good morning Ryan! How are you doing?"

Ryan smiled and poured himself a cup of coffee before joining them at the table. "I'm doing good! I really had a great night."

Calleigh winced. Definitely not the right choice of words.

Natalia smiled and slapped Delko's arm playfully. "Wow, Eric, did you hear that? Ryan had a _great_ night."

The cuban grinned and leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, that's so cool! Now all four of us had a _great_ night."

"Alright…" Ryan frowned and glanced towards Calleigh. "Who took their brains and made them retarded?"

Eric smirked and pointed at his friend. "Wolfe, stop acting so innocent. You're an even worse actor than Calleigh is."

Ryan rolled his eyes and lifted his hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright… we _fixed_' he hesitated. "… what needed to be _fixed_."

"Good job Ryan, I knew you could do it." Natalia said, clearly really happy with the turn of events.

Calleigh, on the other hand, was shocked. "You _told_ them about us?" she shrieked, a little louder than she intended.

Ryan shrugged. "Hey, you know they're way too nosy. They would've found out sooner or later."

"But… you said right this morning that you wanted to keep our dating quiet for a while."

Eric and Natalia's eyes grew wide. "Woah woah woah… you guys are _dating_ now?"

Ryan winced. "That's the part they didn't know about… I only told them about… _before_." He whispered loudly.

Eric laughed again and nodded his head enthusiastically. "And now, we definitely want details about the _after_ part."

"Shut up."

* * *

_Sooo? Let me know what you thought!!! _

_Do you want more?_

_Because if you want more, I could find a way to give you more… but I just don't know how to continue this story._

_So if you have any ideas, TELL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I always love getting your comments and ideas!!!!_

_Love ya all!_


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